My guess is that it means only that we want our booms lower than the average buyer, not that the sail won't work just fine. (Today's trend to very long harness lines might make lower booms highly impractical for its followers.) OTOH, sailors who ignore trends and use what works best for their own ergonomics and sailing style get to choose their own boom heights. My long-successful sail designer, a NASA aerodynamics consultant and contractor, assured me that my lower-than-stock custom cutouts (to assist rigging by putting my booms closer to the center of the cutout) will not degrade performance.

Certainly sailor height (and boom height, and arm length, and sailing style, and venue, and preferences, and sail tuning, and much more) will affect a sail's responses, but whether those changes are for better or worse depends on many factors. Like everything else from fin screws to tophauls, almost every deviation from "the norm" has pros and cons. If it didn't, all wave or slalom or beginner gear would be alike within its niche.

How boring would THAT be?

OTOH, I can't imagine a short person wanting to tune a Hucker expressly for jumping (high center of effort) and put it on a sinker unless high altitude is his only criterion. Sailworks has even cautioned buyers about the extra vertical lift jump-tuning exerts on the rider, which with that combination tends to load up the board nose and require full time extra effort from the rider. Taller (and heavier) riders can tame that mix more easily, so there's one example of matching rider ergonomics at least to sail tuning (more downhaul lowers the COE to more normal levels), if not basic design.

Hot Sails Maui for the one I know does design sails for smaller and shorter humans.

Why Would YOU place the boom in a lower section of the cutout ?

Your question , I dont really understand.

I suppose a sail maker who could afford to make sizes within sizes could do this, Salaried Riders , those that perform at the top level may make use of such, regular people dont think they would benefit from a custom fitted sail._________________K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you

I thought, the boom cutout was supposed to represent the sail designers entire range of possible boom heights given the style of sail for the board used (mast track position), and style of the given discipline.
Slalom sailiors can have really high booms, and some have really low booms, so a big range is needed.
Most freestyle sailors I know use pretty high booms, to hang off during spin tricks.
Most wave sailors seem to use low booms.
But nothing is universal, as personal preference play the biggest role.

To the OP question, only if there was only one place to connect the booms to the mast, a cut out about 6" long or less. Nobody makes those that aren't custom, it would be lame._________________I don't drink the 'cool' aid, I drink tequila, it's more honest.

I guess the question could be valid the other way too. If it's too high then is the rider looking to achieve something outside the designed range too?

The thing is the optimum setting would be the middle of the cutout, right? So by moving it away from there we steer away from the optimum setting.

I'm curious whether manufacturers move the cutout depending on sail design. For example, a slalom sail may have a higher cutout than a wave sail, no?
Or even more specifically is a power wave sail cutout higher than a regular wave sail?

If it's too high then is the rider looking to achieve something outside the designed range too?

The thing is the optimum setting would be the middle of the cutout, right? So by moving it away from there we steer away from the optimum setting.

The designed range is the entire cutout. That's why it's there...to accommodate the full range of sailors and sailing styles and abilities that the sail was intended for.

Unless you're an advanced sailor with specific goals, you are generally best off with the boom just below shoulder level. At the clavicles. If you are course racing take it a few inches higher. On the waves take it 2" down. Otherwise lock it at the clavicles and worry about other things. Like:

My expert wife who is 4'11" sometimes has to cut out the sail opening lower because she favors handling over speed. Strictly wave sailor.
Hot sails don't require this.
We sold several lines of sails at our shop that needed to have the opening cut lower for almost everyone.

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